ON HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



263 



no longer serve any useful purpose, must be removed. If alpines 

 are grown in the mixed border, they must be planted at the front, 

 and care must be taken that they are not overrun by stronger 

 growers. It is a good plan to place a few stones round them, 

 so as to keep the collar of the plant from off the soil ; otherwise, 

 in mild, .wet winters they are apt to damp off. 



When a large number of cut-flowers are required, it is best 

 to grow plants, especially for furnishing these, in the reserve 

 garden. 



Propagation. — By Division. — This is a method which consists 

 in dividing up the old root-stock into two or more portions, each 

 of which is furnished with roots and forms a separate plant. 

 Many of the strong-growing kinds lend themselves admirably to 

 this method of increase. In fact, division of the crowns often has 

 to be resorted to in order to keep them within bounds — with 

 Michaelmas Daisies, to quote a familiar example. In dividing 

 the root-stock, it is always best, where practicable, to break or 

 pull it asunder, rather than to chop it with the spade, a process 

 which is responsible for the loss of many valuable roots. Of 

 course, this only applies to the moderate growers ; the stronger 

 ones do not mind the loss of a few roots. 



By Seeds. — Seeds may be sown at any time of the year 

 under glass, and in the open from March to September. The 

 best time to sow outside is during April or May, as then the 

 seedlings have time to form strong plants before winter sets in. 

 The seeds should be sown in beds in the reserve garden, and 

 when large enough, the seedlings should be planted in nursery 

 rows, in good soil and sheltered situations, in the reserve 

 garden, and kept growing on until of a size suitable for trans- 

 ferring to the open border. 



By Ciittijigs. — This is an easy way of working up a stock 

 of many kinds, and is often resorted to when other methods 

 fail or are carried on with difficulty. It has one great 

 advantage, and that is the plants so obtained are bound to 

 be true to name, and such is not always the case when they 

 are raised from seed. Cuttings of the young shoots taken off 

 in spring and inserted in pots or pans of light sandy soil, 

 will root readily if they are placed in close frames and kept 

 shaded from strong sunlight ; while if a little bottom-heat is 

 available, that will prove an advantage and materially assist 

 the cuttings in the formation of roots. After rooting, the 

 cuttings must be gradually inured to light and air, and kept 



